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‘The Hunting’ Goes to Rome

The latest painting collection by Iranian artist Leila Vismeh will be on view at the MAC Maja Contemporary Art in Rome on May 6.

Titled ‘The Hunting’, the series is inspired from the 1939 fairytale ‘The Rabbits Who Caused All the Trouble’ by American cartoonist and playwright James Grover Thurber, Honaronline quoted Vismeh as saying.

Animals are the main characters of the story, which focuses on the oppressive relationship between the rabbits and the wolves, the artist said, adding: “The wolves accuse the rabbits of causing all the world’s calamities.”

The metaphorical story chosen by the Iranian painter addresses power struggles, diversity, and human rights with delicate irony. “In some of her works, Vismeh replaces the wolves with the rooster, which, as a virile and aggressive fighter, is the Persian symbol for masculinity,” the gallery’s website majartecontemporanea.com reported.

Vismeh’s artistic journey finds its roots in historical events in her country: the Pahlavi regime, the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the breakout of 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war and the bombings.

Leila Vismeh, 37, has a degree in visual arts from the Tehran University of Art and has taken part in numerous exhibitions in Iran, Dubai and Germany.

She has won several awards and competitions including the top places in ‘Illustration in Culture and Art Competitions’ and ‘Designing and Painting in Culture and Art Competitions’ in Tehran and won the statuette and appreciation tablet in the 11th International Festival of Puppet Theater of Iranian Students.

She is a member of the Iranian Association of Artists and the Iranian Center for the Development of Visual Arts.

The 11 large and medium-sized paintings will be on show through June 25.